The Revelation of Light and Dark (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 1)

But there it is.

A tattoo right over his hipbone, but it’s done in a pearly gold color I’ve never seen. It’s an intricate pattern of swirls and scrolls, and I wonder what meaning it has.

Titus points to the center, and I have to take a few steps closer to see.

“An infinity symbol,” I murmur as I take in the figure eight on its side that indicates the concept of forever.

Titus nods. “It’s called an infinity brand, and it imbues the magic of Semper Terra into our bodies so when we leave that reality, we have the magic with us for assistance.”

“Semper Terra is one of the most magical AltVeritas in existence,” Carrick tells me, perhaps a bone of information to tide me over or to prevent my incessant questions.

I frown. “AltVeritas?”

Carrick shrugs. “Just a name that many call an alternate dimension or reality.”

“An alternate truth,” I translate, it now starting to make sense to me.

“Excuse me?” Carrick asks in surprise.

“What?” I exclaim, giving him a chastising glare. “Just because I didn’t finish college doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

“I never said you were—”

I cut him off, giving my attention only to Titus. “I took Latin in high school. Veritas means truth, Semper means always, and terra means land. Which means… you live in a place called Always Land?”

Titus’s eyes sparkle slyly. “Most call it Forever Land.”

My jaw drops and I can feel my eyes widen so much I’m afraid they might fall out of their sockets. “You mean… Forever Land like in Peter Pan?”

“Just like,” he replies with a laugh. “Some hypothesize that J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, must have known someone from Semper Terra and learned about it that way. Or maybe he just heard a drunken annihilator spinning tales in a pub one time and took the information to create Peter Pan.”

“Amazing,” I murmur, my mind racing. “So… you never age?”

“Not while you’re in Semper Terra,” he explains. “But many live in between both worlds, some even choosing to eventually come back to this dimension to live out their natural lives.”

“But why?” I exclaim with excitement. “Why would anyone want to grow old? Or give up immortality?”

“Because some people can get tired of life,” Carrick says, his voice unusually low. “It’s as simple as that.”

“I suppose,” I admit with a shrug, returning my attention to Titus to ask more questions.

“Enough,” Carrick growls in such a way that my mouth snaps shut. “You can harass Titus later with your curiosities. But we’re on a schedule, and we need to get started.”

“Get started on what?” I ask, completely forgetting I was summoned here at six to learn more about my abilities or what might have caused them.

Carrick doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he steps toward me, coming within just a few feet until I’m put at that height disadvantage where I have to tip my head back to see him.

His eyes are cold, unrelenting with censure. “It occurred to me the night before last that when you charged down a sketchy alley to confront a Dark Fae, that you are impetuous and bordering on imbecilic.”

“Hey—” I say with affront, but he talks right over me.

“You clearly have no sense or regard for danger, and I doubt that’s going to change just because I tell you to act with caution. As such, I think it’s best you get some training.”

“I already train.”

“Yes, I noticed you have some skills. Titus will evaluate you. Afterward, he’ll figure out where we can improve those, so you at least have some adequate self-defense protection.”

I scoff at the notion. I’m damn good at what I do. “I might not be able to snap necks as easily as you, but I’m formidable, Carrick. I can hold my own.”

His eyes flash, and again, I swear there’s fire coming out from behind his pupils to cast a russet glow. He bends, puts his face close to mine, and snarls. “You think you can hold your own? The other night, that succubus had the strength of five men and mental powers to have put you right under her control. She could have frozen you with a mere mental suggestion, then slit your throat with one of her claws had she wanted.”

Coldness washes through me, and my stomach turns sour as I take in what he said. He’d mentioned “powers” before, but I hadn’t given them that much thought. Not in terms of how they could hurt me.

“Do all fae and daemons have powers?” I ask.

“To some extent,” Carrick says with a nod, “and I’ll teach you about them at some point. But you need to know that any dark creature has the power, and most likely the intent, to kill you. You may know how to defend yourself against other humans, but you cannot go up against the supernatural without more than your puny fighting skills.”